Be mine, Valentine?

Yep, Valentines is our new challenge over at Sweet Stampin'. Not a favourite theme of mine as I'm not a terribly romantic person!  I'm very practical and if OH sent me flowers for Valentines, I'd likely just think what a waste of money they were!  I might also be thinking that the money he's spent could have bought me that MFT smart phone die that I'm tempted by but (wo)manfully resisting!  Or on a VERY practical day, I could be thinking that it's 25% of a new Fridge freezer!  See, not romantic at all.

Anyhow, eventually I came up with this card using a cute kangaroo from SU and some gorgeous papers from Authentique.  I won't be sending it though!

Inspired by the following challenges:

Brown Sugar - Anything Goes

Crafty Girls Creations 13 - Anything Goes

Mojo Monday - Sketch

Thanks for dropping by, I plan on some blog hopping time later to check what you've been up to!

The Genius (Occasionally!) xx

Game Time

I almost started crafting last night at 1am, it was another poor sleeping night.  Strangely though I don't feel tired today.  Maybe it will catch up with me later but for now, I am a whirlwind!  So here's another card for my tally, I am a wee bit behind schedule.  I recently sorted out all of my clear stamps and found a *few* lotv stamps that have never been inked.  I teamed this one with some SU paper and this lovely sketch and hey presto!

Inspired by these lovely challenges:

I love Promarkers - Anything Goes
Little Red Wagon - They say it's your Birthday
Simon says Stamp - Anything Goes
Sketch Saturday - Sketch

The Male Room - Babies or Little Ones

Thanks so much for sropping by,

The Genius (Occasionally!) xx

You Rock!

Whizzing by......I'm still crafting away as I have some personal birthdays coming up too.  This card didn't end up as it meant to, First off when I scored my card, it veered off course which annoyed me, grabbed a new piece of card.  Then my guitar didn't stamp fully.  Decided to make do rather than scrap another piece so added the 'you rock'  to cover the bald patch!

Inspired by these fab challenges:

Brown Sugar 182 - Black, Blue & Brown RANDOM WIN!

Retro Rubber - Sketch (Music stamps c2009)
Southern Girls - Anything Goes

The Genius (Occasionally!) xx

Merry Swirls

Here's my second Christmas card of the year, all part of the grand plan for organisation and stash using for this year.  A nice CAS card this one using some Inkadinkado swirl stamps that I've owned since about 2008 and a Verve sentiment that's only been in the stash a couple of years at the most.  Unfortunately I didn't add to my stash of cards over the weekend as I got so absorbed in to Spring cleaning, can't believe it myself either!

Today is card day, it's a reward.

Insppired by the following challenes:

Freshly Made Sketches - Sketch

One Layer Christmas - Anything Goes

   

The Genius (Occasionally!) xx

A Golden Mojo

Morning, just flying through as I'm sneaking a quiet bit of blog time while I'm the only one up!  Have you got anything lovely planned for the weekend?  I'm on housework and cards because I've set myself a goal again....I had 113 days from the beginning of the year and want to make a minimum of a card a day.  Ideally I'd like to reach 150 in those 113 days.  I suppose it depends how my ratio of housework to cards works out.....

I ned to find one of those little countdown thingies that goes on my blog! *ETA* Look, I found one lol!  That should keep me on track hopefully.

Inspired by the following challenges:

Mojo Monday - Sketch

Shopping our Stash - 3, 2, 1. (3 hearts, 2 Circles & 1 Sentiment)

Southern Girls - Anything Goes

Enjoy your weekend folks, I'll be out visiting you all later,

The Genius (Occasionally!) xx

Birthday Blues

Another night of not sleeping enough last night, is this my new normal?  I have never ever had a problem with sleep before so it's strange for me but I suppose I will get used to it.  The big black panda eyes are another thing altogether though!

Here's one for the male card stash, ideal for those men who have no particular hobbies or interests.  I love the clean lines of this card.

I was inspired by the following challenges:

Crafty Catz - Word Art

Just us Girls - White, light blue & dark blue

Sketch Saturday - Sketch

Thanks for dropping by, have a lovely day

The Genius (Occasionally!) xx

Roaring in at the last minute

I feel distinctly dozey this morning, had one of those nights where I just couldn't sleep.  I read a whole book while attempting to drift off!

Here's a card I put together for a couple of challenges, one of those tricky male cards.  I always need more of those but I still can't work out what you put on a man card if they have no hobbies, don't drink and don't like cars or bikes.  If only there was a male equivalent to flowers....

Inspired by the following challenges:

Brown Sugar 181 - Movie Madness

Freshly Made Sketches - Sketch

The Male Room - Anything Goes

My movie inspiration comes from watching Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone after hearing about the death of Alan Rickman, so very sad.  This bike reminds me of the one on which Hagrid turns up at the Dursleys with baby Harry.

Thanks for popping in, todays cake offering is fairy cakes with peanut butter icing, hurry or I'll have polished them off!

The Genius (Occasionally!) xx

It's a bit.......BLAND!

Sliding in with a late Mojo Monday entry, I really couldn't decide where to go with this sketch and ended up going WOW (white on white).  Unfortunately it didn't 'wow' the OH who took one look at it and said "It's a bit.......bland!"

Can't win 'em all eh?  Best slap some colour on the next one!

I was inspired by the following fab challenges who hopefully like my 'bland' card a bit more than hubby does!!  

Allsorts - Girly & Sparkly

Craft for the Craic - January Blues

Mojo Monday - Sketch

The Genius (Occasionally!) xx

Winging It!

I had a lovely meal out last night, tuna steak with new potatoes, carrot and swede mash, broccoli and curly kale followed by sorbet, yum!  I fully expected to have a lie in this morning as I didn't climb in to bed until 1am, but no.  I woke up at a very sensible time and realised I still needed to write my post.  

Here's a cutie bear from Penny Black, definitely one of my older stamps but I love it.  Made for a little girl's first birthday and kept fairly simple for this weeks Sweet Stampin' challenge of 'THINGS WITH WINGS'.  We'd love to see your winged creations so why not come join in the fun...

Playing along with the following challenges:

Fab n Funky - For a Child
Penny Black and More - One for the Girls
Penny Black Saturday - Anything Goes
Southern Girls - One for the girls

Thank you so much for dropping in, the kettles on and choc chip cookies are just out of the oven.  Help yourself, they're calorie free!

The Genius (Occasionally!) xx

Dramatic Hearts

Woohoo, I am congratulating myself on using 2 items from my very old stash today.  The brads have to be at least 8 years old, I couldn't even tell you where they came from.  The heart ribbon is another Lakeland purchase.  I was a bit phased by this sketch but went to grab some circles to use, the circles were too big but happened to be in the same box as these hearts.  Serendipity!

Inspired by these fabulous challenges:

Allsorts - Ribbon/Lace

Just Us Girls - Metal (Brads)

Sketch Saturday - Sketch

It's pelting down with rain here today so I think it's perfect weather for a nice cuppa and some more crafting, thanks for stopping by.

The Genius (Occasionally!) xx

CASS with BOWS on!

Well hello, I'm dropping in just a little late to show you my first Christmas card of the year, yes I did say Christmas!  I like to attempt organisation, even if I don't always reach the dizzying heights of success with it.

At least with Christmas at Sweet Stampin' I'm guaranteed 12 cards minimum each year!  This is the first using a beautiful image from Robyn's Fetish who are our super sponsor for January.  A bit of backing paper from a seriously old pack (a Bah Humbug win if you can remember how many years ago that was...)

Would love to enter in the following lovely challenges too please:

Brown Sugar 180 - Anything Goes

Crafty Catz - Flowers

Shopping our Stash - Something New (digi from RF)

Thank you for dropping in, if you too want to be as organised as me (ok that may not be the best encouragement to give you) drop by the challenge blog and join in.  The theme is bows.

The Genius (Occasionally!) xx

New Stash Alert.....

Hello again!  Yes, I did say a NEW stash alert and NO, I'm not breaking my resolutions already.  It was a Christmas gift so I haven't spent anything! Everything else is old I promise.  This pretty stamp was found in the Sir Stampalot sale.  I love this company, super friendly and their parcels always arrive well packed and swiftly too.

See that panel with the orange crackle on it?  I HAD to have that stamp (Stampin' Up) after seeing it used as tree bark on a card.  I may have had it 3 or so years, do you think I've ever used it as tree bark?  No bonus points for the correct answer lol!

Inspired by the following fab challenges:

Allsorts - What's New
Brown Sugar 180 - Anything Goes
Craft for the Craic - january Blues (I'm chasing them away with this bright flowers)
Crafty Catz - Flowers

Mojo Monday - Sketch

Appreciate you dropping by, I'll make cakes for next time.  Chocolate ok for everyone?!

The Genius (Occasionally!) xx

Happy New Year!

Yes, the chaos has finally receded enough, children have been packed off back to school (even if I did get the wrong day!) and I am back in the world of crafting.  I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and New Year, we certainly did.  Lots of games and giggles

Of course, I have been reflecting on my crafty resolutions for 2016.  Really I want to continue in the same vein as last year.  So I'm going with:

1. Use up more of my existing stash.
2. Only buy essential items (adhesives, cards, envelopes etc).
3. Improve my one layer cards.
4. Experiment with shaped cards.
5. Send Birthday cards!!  (Cobblers children syndrome!).
6. Leave comments as often as I can.
7. Create more Christmas cards throughout the year.

So my first blogged card of 2016:

It uses some retired S.U. paper & my very oldest S.U. stamps.

I was inspired by the following challenges:

Penny Black & More - One for the Girls

Shopping our Stash - Monochrome (Pink for Leslie)

Sketch Saturday - Sketch
Southern Girls - One for the Girls

Thank you so much for dropping by, I will be around to visit soon

The Genius (Occasionally!) xx

P.S. I hate gloomy weather.  It took 4938 attempts to get an acceptable photo of this card!